Hitoshi Ashida

Hitoshi Ashida (15 November 1887-20 June 1959) was Prime Minister of Japan from 10 March to 15 October 1948, succeeding Tetsu Katayama and preceding Shigeru Yoshida. He was a member of the Japan Democratic Party during his premiership.

Biography
Hitoshi Ashida was born in Fukuchiyama, Japan in 1887, and he worked for the Foreign Ministry for twenty years after graduating from Tokyo Imperial University. In 1932, he was elected to the National Diet as a Seiyukai Party member, and he won a new seat in the Diet after World War II as a Liberal Party of Japan member. In 1947, he became Foreign Minister in Tetsu Katayama's government, and he also oversaw the revision of the Japanese Constitution so that the Japan Self-Defense Forces could be created. In 1948, Ashida became Prime Minister at the head of a coalition government between the Japan Democratic Party and the Japan Socialist Party. In October 1948, he was forced to resign due to a corruption scandal within his administration, and he was cleared of all fault in 1958. He died a year later.